Survivors of rape need better support within the criminal justice system, say civil society organisations By Mary-Anne Gontsana “We need a sexual offences court in Khayelitsha immediately,” Nombulelo Sithilanga of Thuthuzela Care Centre told a panel discussion at the Isivivana Centre last month. According to Crime Stats SA, 444 sexual offences cases, including 367 cases of rape, were opened at the three main...

“The court will see who is lying and who is telling the truth” By Zoë Postman Land occupiers from Tswelopele Extension 8 in Tembisa, East of Johannesburg, are applying for an interdict at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria to prevent the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) from evicting them. The 118 households want their demolished homes rebuilt and to be compensated...

Charges dropped against prominent public interest lawyer Richard Spoor By John Yeld Charges against prominent public interest lawyer Richard Spoor have been withdrawn. Spoor was charged with unlawfully and intentionally assaulting a police general “by pointing him with a finger”; disobeying an order by the police general to “keep quiet and not advance to the podium”; and “waiving hands” at an unnamed MEC (actually a...

Court rules that a trial isn’t needed, but Lucky Montana and others must have an opportunity to give their side By Zoë Postman The case between Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) and Siyangena Technologies will not be referred to trial. But the PRASA officials accused of corruption in PRASA’s founding affidavit will be allowed to submit affidavits to the court...

Victory for Social Justice Coalition may result in poorer areas getting more officers By Thembela Ntongana and GroundUp Staff Judge MJ Dolamo of the Cape High Court (sitting as the Equality Court) has declared that the allocation of police resources in the Western Cape unfairly discriminates on the basis of race and poverty. The ruling came on Friday morning, and is a victory for...

Ten Social Justice Coalition members who chained themselves to Cape Town civic centre will not have criminal records 19 November 2018   By Zoë Postman The Constitutional Court has ruled that the failure to give notice of a protest should not be made a criminal offense. The judgement, delivered on Monday morning in a case that has become known as the SJC10, was unanimous....

Our court system is frustrating, slow and technologically backward  By GroundUp Editors South Africans are rightly proud of our independent judiciary. It has, with some notable individual exceptions, avoided the descent into corruption and disintegration of state institutions that took place in the Zuma era. But our court system is frustrating, slow and technologically backward. This is unnecessary. Here are some ways it...

Bongile Joni pleads guilty, sentenced to an effective eight years in prison By Kim Reynolds Bongile Joni pleaded guilty on Thursday in the Strand Magistrate’s Regional Court to the murder of Noxolo Xakeka. Magistrate Franselien Mouton sentenced him to an effective eight years in prison. The murder took place on 1 January. Joni gave his version of events to the court on Thursday:...